March 12, 2013
Spring is coming and the district is busy preparing for September, 2013. Reconfiguration plans are moving forward as expected. Students and teachers know where they will be next year and are busy getting to know their new schools. Once again I want to thank the many community members who offered their time and helped to give the district guidance for the future. The intensive process that we went through before making the decision to reconfigure truly assisted the Board in clarifying the priorities of our community.
Through our commitment to excellence and fiscal management it is our purpose to maintain our excellent programs. From our stakeholders we confirmed that academics, class size in the elementary and our arts programs need to be supported and enhanced whenever possible. The district will continue to offer a broad choice of Advanced Placement classes, foreign language, advanced STEM courses and a fine arts program that is the envy of other districts. Our Robotics Team continues to win many of their events. We have athletes competing in state level competitions. Brandon’s music program, both instrumental and vocal, always receives top honors and our visual arts students are yearly award winners.
Brandon is very proud of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education offered to our students. The Brandon STEM Pathways Academy has continuously grown over the last five years. Academy students competed in the 46th Annual Math Field Day at the University of Michigan – Flint. Brandon students competed in the medium school division against East Grand Rapids, Detroit Catholic Central, Dewitt, Goodrich, Houghton, Okemos, and Swartz Creek. The Brandon Academy took five of their brightest math students to compete in five events, Chalk Talk, Leapfrog, Mad Hatter A, Mad Hatter B, and the Team Essay. Brandon STEM Pathways Academy brought home a 1st place in the Leapfrog Event. This is the second year the Academy has competed in the competition and the second 1st place achieved by the students. In addition, for two years the Brandon math and science students have achieved 1st place overall in the Flint Metro League Math-Science Competition.
I want to assure all of our parents and students that our educational programs are growing. The reconfiguration of our elementary buildings is helping us to assure that our AP classes remain in place and that we can continue to offer the STEM Academy. We continue to sustain our foreign language and visual arts programs. There will continue to be a yearly dramatic and musical production. Money is tight, but Brandon is a good school district and will remain a good school district.
For anyone seeking a safe and enriching educational experience, I proudly recommend Brandon School District where we are committed to excellence for all of our students.
Sincerely,
Lorraine McMahon, Superintendent of Schools
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